The invention is directed to compressed air guns and more particularly to toy pop-guns used for the launching of cylindrical projectiles such as empty beverage cans and the like.
Air guns for launching frusto conic projectile, such as, corks and spheres, such as, ping pong balls, and the like are well known in the toy art.
Generally stated, spheres or frusto conic projectiles such as corks and the like are suitable for use in compressed air guns because the projectile has only one line of contact with the launching surface of the air gun "barrel" and as the pressure within the barrel is increased the pressure will build up until the contact friction at the seal between the projectile and the barrel launch surface is overcome and then the projectile will be launched therefrom. Because there is a continuing line of friction along a cylindrical projectile and the inner surface of the launching barrel, cylindrical projectiles generally fall from the barrel under built up pressure rather than be launched therefrom.
Applicant knows of no prior art manually manipulated compressed air gun device that is capable of launching a cylindrical projectile such as an empty beverage can or the like in the same manner as a sphere or frusto conic projectile. A considerable amount of pleasure can be derived from a manually manipulated air gun that can launch cylindrical projectiles such as beverage cans in the same manner as the launching of cork and sphere projectiles from the prior art devices.